News
UNP asks govt. not to make muddle of KNDU
‘Answer lies in making people aware of genuine intentions of the government’
By Piyasena Dissanayake
The government should take on board the views of all stakeholders and solve the Kotelawala National Defence University crisis without making any decision detrimental to free education, UNP Chairman and former Minister Vajira Abeywardena said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the UNP office in Elpitiya, the former minister said that the Kotelawala Defence University had been functioning well for the past 25 to 30 years producing graduates without any major issue.
“There are some who blame the UNP and Ranil Wickremesinghe for attempting to privatise education but it was the UNP that did the utmost to develop free education. The KDU was set up to train and educate the officers for the war against the LTTE. When the need to further educate the officers arose, the then UNP government decided to send ten cadet officers each to the state universities. When Wickremesinghe was the Minister of Education we sent ten army, navy and air force officer trainees to each state university. But the JVP opposed it stating that those were the spies sent by the government to gather intelligence about JVP student leaders and their operations in the universities. Therefore, the then government decided to send all those officer trainees to a separate defence faculty.
“The KDU is now a full-fledged university. It should be upgraded as per the needs of the time and the government should do that. But there should be a proper way of doing that. The government should not make use of the KDU to promote private universities in the country, and it should allay the fears in the minds of people about this project. It should explain to people what its true intentions are. We do not think anyone would oppose the upgrading of the KDU if they are made aware of the genuine intentions of the government. The government has mismanaged the whole issue. It should speak to all stakeholders and explain its plans. The matter should be solved amicably through the means of negotiations without letting it snowball into a major crisis.”
Opposition Leader of the Galle Municipal Council Dilith Nishantha also addressed the media conference.
The Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development has recommended the establishment of Sri Lankan Standards, i.e. the import testing methodology for imported tires used for passenger cars and pneumatic tires for three-wheelers with the aim of ensuring a fair competitive environment for local
manufactures and ensuring consumer safety and security.
Taking into the said recommendations, “Import and Export (control regulations N0.08 of the 2026)” has been enacted to amend the existing regulations by means of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2508/27 dated 2026-10-01, prescribing Sri Lanka standard 1212 for the import of passenger types (HS Code 4011.10.90) and Sri Lanka standard 1347 for the import of
pneumatic tires for three – wheeled vehicles (HS Code 4011.90.10).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to submit the aforementioned regulations to Parliament for approval.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 02.06.2025 to introduce a new act to promote and providing legal provisions for facilitating the Public Private Joint Enterprises within Sri Lanka as well as the establishment of the National Agency for Public Private Partnership Joint Enterprises.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the relevant draft bill and the Attorney General has given his clearance to the said draft bill.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the said
draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby submit it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Regulation, development and control of indigenous medical sector in Sri Lanka comprised of Ayurvedha, Sidhdha, Unani, Local Therapies are carried out under the provisions of Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Although amendments were made to the act from time to time as per the requirements, the necessity of further amending the Ayurvedha Act has been identified to enable efficiently maintaining all activities of local medical field productively, further formalizing the regulation of the sector, taking actions to providing licenses applicable to export of local medicines, and achieving the progress and sustainable development goals in the local medical sector.
Based on the said factors, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to direct the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft bill to amend the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 08 of 2026
Draft Bill of the Public Private Partnership Enterprises Act to be gazzetted
Amendment of the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961
Cabinet nod to amend the Sri Lanka Development Administration Institute Act No. 9 of 1982
Establishment of the National Higher Performance Centre
State patronage for the cremation ceremony of the late deputy prelate (Anu Nayaka Thero) of the Sri Laka Ramangya Maha Nikaya, Gatambe Rajopawanramadhipatha, Siri Chandawimala Wanshalankara, Chandrakeerthi Sri Amarawansha, Sadhdharmawageeshwara, Shasanashobhanna Most Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimalabhidhana Thero
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